The Iraqi PM will make the first visit to Iran in order to improve relations | Political Affairs

Ali al-Zaidi will hold talks with Iranian officials on bilateral relations, shared interests and security.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is in Iran on his first visit since taking office in May.

The Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Thursday said al-Zaidi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian oversaw the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on foreign affairs, finance, economy and energy in Tehran.

Speaking at a meeting of Iranian and Iraqi delegations in Tehran, al-Zaidi thanked Iran for supporting Iraq in the fight against the ISIS group (ISIS), and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to security cooperation with Tehran, saying that Iraq will not accept any action against Iran by any group.

“Iraq will not forget Iran’s support in the fight against the terrorist group (ISIL),” he said, according to Pezeshkian’s office.

Pezeshkian said that the cooperation agreement will be a way to improve relations between Tehran and Baghdad, emphasizing that the security of the two neighboring countries is closely related.

During the two-day visit, al-Zaidi will hold talks with other Iranian officials on bilateral cooperation, shared interests and regional security, he said on X.

“We will meet with the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to discuss issues of mutual interest, cooperation between the two countries, regional developments, and efforts to strengthen security and stability in the entire region,” he said.

“Iraq and Iran are bound by history and development, shared borders, and common interests. This lasting relationship requires us to continue to act in a spirit of dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect in a way that promotes sustainable development and prosperity for the people of both countries, while contributing to regional and international security and stability.”

Iraq is still heavily dependent on Iranian gas and electricity, with bilateral trade exceeding $12bn a year, making it one of Iran’s largest trading partners.

Deep religious ties also exist between the two countries, with millions of Iranian Shia pilgrims crossing the border to visit Iraq’s holy sites every year. During the week-long funeral for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month, the procession made its way through central Iran. Iraqi Shia cities of Najaf and Karbala.

The Iranian government has also established close ties with Shia parties and militias in Iraq that are the backbone of the Iraqi military.

Political analyst Ghaleb Al-Daami told Al Jazeera that al-Zaidi’s visit comes as Baghdad tries to maintain the difficult task of maintaining relations with the warring parties, the United States and Iran.

Al-Daami said that the main objectives of al-Zaidi’s visit are to tell Iran to stop supporting the armed forces in Iraq and to deliver a message from the US, which has shown that it is helping Iraq to mediate between the US war in Iran.